Industry News
Online technology for offline agencies
In 2006, Amadeus completed the acquisition of German online pioneer TravelTainment, a company at the forefront of online leisure selling, with sophisticated pricing, search and dynamic packaging technology as well as rich content tools for the B2C and B2B travel market.
Everybody is talking about 'differentiation' and it's vital contribution to business success. While we all know that original and unique technology and solutions can give an independent travel agency that competitive edge which pushes them ahead in the market - what does TravelTainment contribute?
The expert's expert
TravelTainment's internet booking engine (TT-IBE) uses 'fuzzy logic' software to find suitable alternative travel offers for your customers - fast. This unique search technology finds relevant available packages in less than a second among billions of offers. That - as well as matchless travel destination information - makes for an excellent look-to-book rate.
The Travel Office module for agents and retailers is based on the same technology and is an extremely powerful tool to help optimise consultancy and increase sales. Already, over 4.500 German travel agencies use Travel Office - joined every month by 100 more.
The world at your fingertips
TravelTainment not only offers extremely rich content but also a comprehensive multi-channel platform to all sales channels with, for example, geo-referenced resort and destination content with high-quality images, 360 panoramic views, information on countries and regions as well as texts on all relevant resorts, including details on cities, beaches, hotels, leisure activities and places of interest.
How does 'fuzzy logic' work?
Let's say your customer wants to leave Madrid on a Saturday and spend two weeks at a beach resort in Thailand at a five-star hotel. The 'fuzzy' handling of the search criteria permits the system to offer a viable alternative should what your customer wants not be available exactly as specified - for example, a high-quality four-star hotel, a beach resort in India or a Sunday departure... This is an important advantage, particularly during peak seasons when many travel offers are often sold out. Each item in the list of suitable travel offers is rated in percentages to indicate how closely each offer matches the customer's requirements. Fuzzy logic software technology makes sure that 'no results available to match your search' never appears on the website.
Competitive pricing - how?
Dynamic packaging' is travel industry jargon for a cheaper and more flexible way of booking a holiday. The idea is that dynamic packaging imitates the potential traveller's experience of visiting a travel agent and negotiating a deal, while the travel agents can put together packages of their own choice and calculate better margins, still offering a competitive price compared to their direct competitors.
That personal touch
TravelTainment offers customers the possibility of relating to their customers on a very personal level by giving them the opportunity to save more than just the most basic information for their travellers. Amadeus and TravelTainment will be able to deliver unique products and solutions that will allow agencies to use many new features to their maximum advantage, enabling them to achieve tangible differentiation.
Innovation for the leaders
This year, only 11% of travel agency bookings were made online in Western Europe, while 257 million bookings, representing 89% of the market, were made offline at travel agencies - and TravelTainment has a whole range of creative and innovative products for you.
Not available in all markets, please contact your local Amadeus Commercial Organisation for additional information.